Gender Representation in Nigerian Children’s Literature
A 2014 study by Iduma-Ogbonnaya analyzed 24 English language textbooks in Nigeria and found that men were represented as main characters 81.9% of the time, compared to 18% for women. This indicates a significant gender disparity in character representation, which may reflect the gender distribution among authors as well .
Further, a study by Ndidi R. Uzegbu highlighted that among six literature books selected for the National Examinations Council (NECO) for junior classes in Oyo State, Nigeria, none were authored by women. This suggests a dominance of male authors in the selection of literature for educational purposes.
